House GOP plan would merge state education departments

New legislation would join the Department of Education, Department of Higher Education and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation into one cabinet-level agency under the governor’s control.

Jim Siegel The Columbus Dispatch @phrontpage

A proposal to combine three state agencies into one department and give the governor more direct power over the implementation of education policy will be a primary focus of House Republicans over the next three months.

New legislation would join the Department of Education, Department of Higher Education and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation into one cabinet-level agency under the governor’s control.

“This legislation aligns our education systems in Ohio to better prepare our students for the workforce of today and tomorrow,” said Rep. Bill Reineke, R-Tiffin, sponsor of the massive 2,430-page bill.

One goal is to get 65 percent of Ohioans by 2025 to have some type of workforce certificate or higher education degree, Reineke said.

“To do that, we need to re-purpose our educational system,” he said. “We are not properly preparing students for the workforce.”

He said the bill would take about 80 percent of what the state Department of Education currently does and place it with the new Ohio Department of Learning and Achievement. The Education Department currently performs a wide variety of tasks, including distributing billions in funding to schools, compiling school report cards, overseeing graduation requirements and implementing laws passed by the legislature.

The Department of Education would retain a number of non-policy functions, such as teacher licensing, charter school oversight, determining the permanent expulsion of students, sponsoring charter schools when needed and overseeing the state schools for the deaf and blind. The state Board of Education's role also would be reduced, though the makeup of the board would not change.

Several statewide education groups criticized the plan, which does not come with additional education funding, noting that if better cooperation is the goal, there are "less drastic" ways to do it besides handing important topics to appointed staffers.

“The Ohio Department of Education is not without its shortcomings, but given the downsizing and increased responsibilities that have occurred over the past decade, that is not surprising," said Jim Rowan, executive director of the Ohio Association of School Business Officials. "However, our experience in working with department staff to resolve issues and questions from the field is typically very positive.”

Asked about the criticism, Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, said, “We have to get prepared for a more advanced workforce into the future, and part of that is making sure we streamline and make sure agencies are more efficient."

Rosenberger said he would like to see the House pass the bill before it breaks for the campaign season at the end of May.

Gov. John Kasich already appoints the heads of the Department of Higher Education and the Office of Workforce Transformation. The state Board of Education appoints the state superintendent — typically with strong input from the governor. Kasich for months has advocated giving the governor more power over the state's education responsibilities.

“We're encouraged by an effort like this to improve the management and accountability of how the state supports students and frontline educators,” said Kasich spokesman Jon Keeling.

Supporters say the plan would bring more accountability to education, placing results squarely on the governor.

Rep. Rick Carfagna, R-Westerville, a bill co-sponsor, said the state needs better synchronization across the three agencies. He pointed to a number of statistics, including those showing two-thirds of Ohio eighth-graders are not proficient in math and 60 percent are not proficient in science, while 31 percent of students entering college are enrolled in English or math remedial courses. That remedial figure is down from 40 percent in 2010.

“We’ve got to come up with a better plan,” Carfagna said. “We’re not tinkering with education policy at all in this legislation. There should be zero impact of this bill upon our local districts.”

The proposal drew mostly criticism from Democrats.

Sen. Joe Schiavoni, D-Boardman, called the bill an "unacceptable power grab." His gubernatorial running mate, Stephanie Dodd, an elected state school board member, said it takes decisions away from elected officials and gives them to bureaucrats.

Meanwhile, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rich Cordray said he hadn't seen the bill but agrees with the concept.

"It would be a good thing for the governor of the state of Ohio to have more direct control over education policy in this state. It has been badly fragmented for years," he said.